A spokesman for Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin did not send troops to Libya and did not give any such orders. It is reported by TASS.
“Vladimir Putin, the commander in chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, did not send troops to Libya and did not give any orders in this regard”, – said Peskov, answering the question whether Putin sent troops to this country.
The day before, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Russia is leading the war in Libya at the highest level.
In particular, he talked about a photograph in which the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Khaftar, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergey Shoigu, the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov and a certain head of PMC “Wagner” were allegedly captured in the same room.
In July, the media reported on the detention of two Russians in Libya. Then the Russian Foreign Ministry promised to verify this information through its channels.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov later called speculation the information of The New York Times that about 200 Russian mercenaries arrived in Libya.
After the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, a civil war continues in Libya. There are two centers of power in the country: the Government of National Accord, recognized by the international community, and the interim cabinet, which supports the LNA.